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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28060452">Where Are We Now</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/FandomTrashbag/pseuds/FandomTrashbag'>FandomTrashbag</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Pieces of Cake [17]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Labyrinth (1986)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Miscarriage, Pregnancy Scares, Unplanned Pregnancy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 11:34:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,044</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28060452</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/FandomTrashbag/pseuds/FandomTrashbag</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Against all odds, magical and otherwise, Sarah finds herself pregnant and panicking. In this world, these things often resolve themselves.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jareth/Sarah Williams</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Pieces of Cake [17]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1772494</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>42</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Where Are We Now</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tasers_and_Mischief/gifts">Tasers_and_Mischief</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>TW for an early-stage miscarriage. Please DON'T read this if it may be triggering.</p><p>I am prefacing this by saying I do NOT have personal experience with this, but I have several friends that do. There are also a wide range of experiences and no two are alike.</p><p>My version of J &amp; S have zero interest in children of their own; this is something they have always agreed upon. Even after a brush with possibility, it isn't going to be something they long for. This is also taking place when Sarah would be around 50, ten years after eating her peach, so they very much have a happy rythm to their lives.</p><p>For Tasers_and_Mischief, who requested a pregancy fic. I'm apologizing now if this isn't necessarily what you were thinking, but I'm glad you reminded me I wanted to write the thing in the first place.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>No. This wasn’t supposed to happen… For at least five different reasons.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She found herself pacing the runner in front of the bedroom fireplace, chewing on her cuticles and thinking frantically.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh god. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Her attention was drawn to the fireplace when she felt a warmth in the air. Small flames were now licking around a bit of kindling left in the previously-dead hearth and she turned back to look at the bed. Jareth was propped awake against the headboard watching her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re up,” she noted quietly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He nodded. “Your absence never goes unnoticed, my dear.” He climbed out of bed, bringing a fuzzy throw from the foot of the bed wrapped around his shoulders. When he reached her, he pulled her into the circle of his arms and shrouded her with him. “What troubles you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned in his arms, facing away from him and into the smoldering fireplace. “I just had this </span>
  <em>
    <span>feeling</span>
  </em>
  <span>. A quick trip Above kind of confirmed things.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His arms tightened around her and he kissed her shoulder. “I know.” One of his hands came to rest over her abdomen, just below her belly button.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Excuse me</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” she said incredulously, turning around again to face him. “You </span>
  <em>
    <span>know?</span>
  </em>
  <span> If I didn’t until now, how the hell did </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shrugged and wiggled his fingers in front of her. “Magic, as with most things.” A finger against her lips prevented her from continuing. “Like senses like. I can </span>
  <em>
    <span>feel</span>
  </em>
  <span> it, but that’s all it is. It is precisely what you had: a feeling.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sighed and rested her forehead against his chest, speaking into his skin. “So what do we do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He hugged her close. “It’s rather early, in more ways than one,” he motioned to the clock on one wall to confirm the ridiculous hour. “For now?” he inhaled sharply through his nose. “I say we go back to bed and worry about this later. We have time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When she looked up at him, he saw the uncertainty there and his heart twinged for her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t fall back asleep,” she groaned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He led her back to the large bed and tucked her in next to him. “I believe I can help with that,” he said softly. As she tucked herself against him, he ran a soothing finger across her temple as he kissed her forehead, lulling her into sleep.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>“But </span>
  <em>
    <span>how?</span>
  </em>
  <span>” she asked over breakfast the next morning, nibbling on a piece of toast and avoiding her cup of coffee.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He scoffed. “Do we really need to have that discussion, Sarah?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She rolled her eyes. “You know damn well what I mean, smart ass.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He chuckled. “It is not common, but it does happen. I think the more important question is ‘what now,’ don’t you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ve talked about this,” she said firmly. “A lot.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We have. We also failed to actually entertain the idea; I don’t think we ever thought we would need to.” He looked across the small table on their balcony at her with an unreadable expression. Despite the chill in the Underground air, she still loved taking breakfast out here to watch the orange sun rise. She was wrapped with a thick blanket in a veritable cocoon. She didn’t look at him. “Just…” his lips pursed a moment. “Take the time you need to </span>
  <em>
    <span>think</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” was all he said as he stood. He left a firm kiss on the top of her head as he moved inside to dress and try to get some work done.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was right. She’d never wanted to have to think about it.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Jareth was settling himself against pillows, one leg dangling off the mattress. “Sarah,” he called towards the washroom where the door was just cracked. “It’s been a week and we should probably talk--” He cut himself off when he heard several things clatter to the stone floor behind the door. Tilting his head curiously, he slowly stood and walked toward the bathroom. He leaned toward the door, listening for anything off. Just as he turned to go back to the bed, there was a distinctly-pained groan, followed by a whimper, then the flush of the plumbing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He spun on his heel and went through the door to see Sarah standing at the sink, a hand holding her abdomen and she met his eyes in the mirror. “I don’t really know that there’s much to talk about,” she said softly, trying to put a bit of humor behind her words. “I uhm… I just need a quick bath and I’ll be to bed. I’ll find a towel to clean all this up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His eyes darted around the dimly-lit room, seeing her brush and a few bottles on the floor knocked from the counter, a spotty dark trail from the sink to the toilet closet. Landing on her, he noticed the red stain slowly blooming across her cotton shorts. She moved towards the large tub and a thin trail rolled down the inside of her leg.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sarah…” His voice was a soft whisper as he went to her, taking off his thick robe and laying it across a chair in the corner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She firmly avoided looking at him while the tub filled with hot water and she started to shakily undo the buttons of her sleep shirt. She looked up at him when his hands covered hers and stilled them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“May I help?” he asked quietly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her eyebrows drew together for a moment and she nodded, letting him undress her carefully and help her into the tub. A good twenty minutes went by in relative silence as she bathed and he nimbly pinned her mid-length hair away from the water. He took a seat on the step next to the tub as she sat hugging her knees to her chest; one of his hands laid over the top hers and she let their fingers tangle together under the surface of the water. She shifted in the water to rest her forehead against his shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you,” she finally said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He kissed her crown and spoke against her hair. “Are you alright?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nodded. “I think so. You were right about it being early; it could have been much worse.” She paused for a second and looked at him, searching his face for something though his expression was calm. “You’re not surprised, are you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sighed and smiled sadly, stroking the back of her hand with his thumb. He shook his head as he tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “No, my love. I’m not. I refrained from mentioning anything just yet, but these things often resolve themselves in this way. I am only thankful it happened earlier.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nodded in understanding.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whether it is a consolation or not, it is unlikely to happen again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Which part,” she asked wryly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He laughed softly, just a hint of mirth chasing away their fleeting sadness. “Either, honestly. Pregnancy for my people is uncommon these days; every few decades at best. It often results in this. If it does happen again, it typically takes the second time even though magic is often involved. The longer you live, the harder it becomes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But you’re… </span>
  <em>
    <span>we’re</span>
  </em>
  <span> human. Doesn’t that change the rules?” she asked curiously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stood to grab a large towel from the rack in the corner to set on the steps for her. “I </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>human. And a child. There’s so much magic in me, I hardly think I am anymore. The magic in that peach was similar. Sure, you were of a bearing age when you made your decision, but do not scoff at ten years even when facing a comparative eternity. I imagine it was your late stage in life that even made this possible. As your natural biological clock ticks down, a different one will take its place. One more attuned to this life.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nodded again, reaching over the edge to take the towel and stood, wrapping herself and stepping out. Standing on the step, she was able to look down at him and noticed he still kept his face unreadable. She had no way of knowing what he was thinking, feeling. “I haven’t bled much since, so that kind of makes sense. I figured it was a kind of magical menopause without the hot flashes,” she teased.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“An apt comparison, actually. That is how mother tends to describe it.” He rubbed up and down her arms a moment and squeezed. “I’ll let you dress. I’ve got you clean clothes,” he gestured to the chair in the corner where his robe was draped, indicating a new stack of clothes that appeared underneath it. “I believe you still have familiar supplies from Above in the closet?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She let herself smile at him and nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good. I’ll leave the door ajar.” He walked around the tub to retrieve his robe and went through the door, pausing halfway past the threshold. “You need only say the word, and I’m here. Come to bed when you are ready.” He ducked through the door, leaving it open just a few inches, and went back to sitting on their bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sarah appreciated his attentiveness; he was so attuned to her after all this time that he knew she needed a moment better than she did. She dressed slowly, finding the pantyliners she knew were somewhere in their bathroom closet. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Just when I thought I’d figured out this whole magic body thing</span>
  </em>
  <span>, she sighed, washing her hands and righting everything on the bathroom counter. She noticed the floor was already clean and silently thanked him for sparing her that chore. Distantly, she could feel her muscles continuing to contract, but knew there was little else to expel. The cramping was already starting to subside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When she left the bathroom, their room was lit low by the dying fireplace mixed with the pale of the moonlight. Jareth was sitting against the headboard waiting for her, her side of the bed turned down, idly juggling a few crystals. He let them float from his fingertips towards the window until they popped like soap bubbles as she crawled into bed beside him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She knelt at his side and looked down at him, cradling his face in her hands. Leaning down, she kissed him tenderly, thanking him without words. His arms wrapped around her waist to hold her close and he breathed her in. She spoke against his lips when she said, “I love you” and he sighed the words back to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He tucked them under a mountain of blankets and she pulled him flush against her, craving his nearness.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How are you?” he whispered to her in the dark a few hours later, knowing she was awake.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She thought a moment, pulling his arms around her as tight as she could. “Relieved. Truly.” She kissed the hand she gripped firmly under her chin. “We keep busy with the children of others, with Jamie. And you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He blinked, not really considering himself in all this. “I think we hear enough of the blistering screams of our small hairy denizens to need anything else to worry about. And I think the chickens are quite glad that Jamie has aged out of chasing them through the halls.” There was a hint of laughter behind his words. He tangled their feet together and nuzzled the back of her neck. “My heart is already full with you, my precious thing. I want for nothing in this life.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She hummed in agreement and closed her eyes as she felt his breathing even out against her. The emptiness she thought she felt earlier left and she realized just how full she was. She was brimming with the love of her own family Above, her friends here Underground and the goblins that would run to her when Jareth frightened them. It was the person beside her, wrapped around her, that really put her at peace. His pure adoration and concern for her had her heart spilling over and she realized that she, too, was content with their life. They did not </span>
  <em>
    <span>need </span>
  </em>
  <span>a child to complete them when they were already so whole.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had been terrified of what her dreams would bring, but allowed that wholeness to lull her into a precarious dreamlessness.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I wanted to end this with a positive, with the knowledge that a life without children is not lacking or empty or "missing" anything. It can be just as full as any other life. There is no shame in feeling relief when the burden of making a difficult decision is blissfully taken away.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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